Canonical's attempt to raise $32 million to build the Ubuntu Edge, a powerful phone that can double as a desktop when docked with a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, has failed. The crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo took in "only" $12.8 million before the deadline passed a few hours ago.

Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth had told BBC that the Edge would be such a high-end device that "we would have been bringing the future forward a year or two at least." But this doesn't mean Ubuntu phones themselves are dead. The smartphone interface for the Ubuntu operating system is still being developed, and carriers around the world have signed on as potential launch partners.

We've asked Canonical if it has any alternative plans now that the Edge campaign is over, and we haven't heard back. However, the company posted a final update to the Indiegogo page:

We raised $12,809,906, making the Edge the world’s biggest ever fixed crowdfunding campaign. Let’s not lose sight of what an achievement that is. Close to 20,000 people believed in our vision enough to contribute hundreds of dollars for a phone months in advance, just to help make it happen. It wasn’t just individuals, either: Bloomberg LP gave $80,000 and several smaller businesses contributed $7,000 each. Thank you all for getting behind us.

Then there’s the Ubuntu community. Many of you gave your time as well as money, organising your own mailing lists, social media strategies and online ads, and successfully reaching out to your local media. We even saw entire sites created to gather information and help promote the Edge. We’ll be contacting our biggest referrers personally.

Most importantly, the big winner from this campaign is Ubuntu. While we passionately wanted to build the Edge to showcase Ubuntu on phones, the support and attention it received will still be a huge boost as other Ubuntu phones start to arrive in 2014. Thousands of you clearly want to own an Ubuntu phone and believe in our vision of convergence, and rest assured you won’t have much longer to wait.

Since the campaign didn't meet its funding requirement, refunds will be processed to backers within five business days, Canonical said.

The public exposure Ubuntu phones got during the campaign is much-needed, considering that they will be coming to market long after iOS and Android have become entrenched in consumers' minds as the premier mobile operating systems.

Shuttleworth told Ars recently that investment in Canonical's phone project is one factor that's keeping the company from becoming profitable immediately. But the gamble is worth it, he said, to create a single platform powering smartphones, tablets, PCs, servers, and cloud networks operating in giant data centers.

One positive from the crowdfunding was that it helped Canonical negotiate with major component suppliers to lower the cost of building Ubuntu phones. While that won't result in production of the Edge itself (unless Canonical has another trick up its sleeve), those kinds of negotiations will be important for Canonical as it brings other Ubuntu phones to market.

The first Ubuntu phones are expected to go on sale in Q1 2014. Those meeting certain specs (including a Quad-core A9 or Intel Atom processor, 1GB memory, and 32GB of flash storage) would be able to double as a PC when docked. The Edge would have had an unnamed multi-core CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.

For now, those of you wanting to use Ubuntu Touch on a smartphone or tablet will have to install prerelease versions onto one of Google's Nexus devices.

106 Reader Comments

It was a hopelessly ambitious endeavour. However, they succeeded in bringing the Ubuntu phone effort to the attention of many people, which is valuable.

I, for one, have had my curiosity piqued, and I'll be very interested to get an Ubuntu phone when one comes to market. I've been thinking increasingly that for such a personal device as a phone, 100% open source is a very attractive feature. When I carry a device with me at all times, day and night, the ability to dig into the source code it's running will give me some peace of mind that it's not doing things that are counter to my interests.

I find it hard to believe Canonical ever seriously expected they'd raise that sort of money. Which makes me wonder what their game really was.

Publicity. Now everyone knows of the Edge, and perhaps investors might be willing to back it. There is a market for such a device like this, and Canonical was trying to prove it with a fundraiser that attracted headlines from newspapers and tech blogs around the globe.

I think it's simply too early to try this. In another few years the transistor count of the ARM will be sufficient to run a desktop OS in a portable form factor. Combined with ARM versions of existing OS's, and work on energy efficiency, all future phones with be dock able. Given past history, I suspect that Apple would be at the forefront in this space - especially given the persistent rumours of ARM versions of MacOS.

Really they couldn't hit 32mil for an unproven OS on unproven hardware. I never would have guessed that.</sarcasm>

The concept is good with the whole dock-able phone and one that I wouldn't mind trying out. That said I have said several times that this was just a PR stunt and was never going to get funded at 32mil.

The idea of Ubuntu in Mobile is compelling as maybe you would get a true Open Source in that space. This project was a trial balloon. I wish them puck. It could be something I would be interested in after the early adapters pave the way.

In a similar use case for a lot of Ubuntu systems I have tinkered with mainly, I see it as a great OS for reviving hardware that drops off the official support roadmaps. As this happens with phone OS much more rapidly than with desktops, then a lightweight OS that you can install on a variety of phones really interests me. Everyone knows what to do with an old laptop, and we all have a variety of options to extend the life of such older kit, but with phones it's more a case of "throw it in a drawer". Would be lovely to grab an old phone and be able to throw an up to date lightweight OS on top for basic stuff. Not fussed about apps, just a decent browser and sync options with all the current crop of online stuff.

So, that said, ecosystem no, OS yes, custom hardware is not required, just perhaps custom tweaks to the OS on a per phone basis for compatability and forget the app/music/books sales channels, keep it open standards based with HTML5 webapps that you can nick from the Firefox OS that is shipping now.

I've been thinking increasingly that for such a personal device as a phone, 100% open source is a very attractive feature. When I carry a device with me at all times, day and night, the ability to dig into the source code it's running will give me some peace of mind that it's not doing things that are counter to my interests.

Correction, the source code you think it's running, assuming you have enough time to go through x hundred megabytes of source looking for... what? an inform_NSA() function? Or a vulnerability that'll be exploited to run code you haven't sat down and read through?

Cos if you can find realistically find the vulnerabilities in a network and browser stack (let alone the entire OS) from browsing the source you're some kind of super-techy-wizard who should be paid millions.

iOS, Android and Windows Phone are all moving towards the convergence of desktop and mobile (example: same kernel).

Wireless display (mirroring) is something that the industry is currently working hard at perfecting. Couple this with more powerful mobile devices that are capable of running full desktop operating systems and you begin to imagine what a personal computer will be like in 5,10,15 years. You won't even need a dock.

The operating systems will become dynamic enough to give you different options for controlling your experience depending on the devices you are connected to.

The Edge is a good idea. Ubuntu just may not be the platform that convinces the masses.

Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth had told BBC that the Edge would be such a high-end device that "we would have been bringing the future forward a year or two at least."

That's absolute nonsense. The flagship phones each year are very close to the top of the tech advancement curve at this point. It's possible that a small run of phones with better specs could be made ahead of the big names, but those would cost a fortune, and they wouldn't be anywhere near two years ahead. Phone hardware specs are a race, nobody is sitting on tech.

Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth had told BBC that the Edge would be such a high-end device that "we would have been bringing the future forward a year or two at least."

I'm looking forward to trying Ubuntu on my Nexus device, hopefully sometime soon. However, guff like that quote really is a massive turn-off. I understand that open source has to provide simplified user interfaces, easy install methods and compatibility with popular proprietary file formats, if it is ever to genuinely appeal to the man in the street. But is the ridiculous PR horseshit really necessary too? Or is the Steve Jobs impersonation that Mark Shuttleworth puts on every time someone points a camera in his direction the price for keeping him interested?

Should give them a good hint that not many care about it. I think the market proves that in reality only a couple smartphone operating systems can really survive and the rest become niche products. Even Microsoft can't fight Android and IOS very well. Let's really also look at the facts with Ubuntu as a whole. Its not like it ever garnered a lot of market share on the PC desktop. Sure maybe a couple percent of all PC's. But is Ubuntu really a household name like Google's Android or Apple's iPhone and IOS? Not even close. Plus, where is the money to market a Ubuntu phone? Does the people at Ubuntu think the cell phone companies will flip for marketing it? I highly doubt it.

I think it's simply too early to try this. In another few years the transistor count of the ARM will be sufficient to run a desktop OS in a portable form factor. Combined with ARM versions of existing OS's, and work on energy efficiency, all future phones with be dock able. Given past history, I suspect that Apple would be at the forefront in this space - especially given the persistent rumours of ARM versions of MacOS.

Why is this being voted down? It isn't offensive or trollish in the least, and more so it is right. While a lot of progress has been made in dynamic power in the last decade, we still don't have processors that can scale in a manner that can satisfy the needs of both a desktop and phone in one package. Even the beefiest ARM processor will be slow for desktop needs, and processor that is sufficient for the desktop would have horrible battery life. There is a reason that all other tablet/desktop convertibles actually contained two completely separate processors and dual booted. If the Edge had been built with today's technology it either would have been a poor phone, a poor desktop or both.

Don't get me wrong I think it is an awesome idea, but one whose time has not yet come.

I think it's simply too early to try this. In another few years the transistor count of the ARM will be sufficient to run a desktop OS in a portable form factor. Combined with ARM versions of existing OS's, and work on energy efficiency, all future phones with be dock able. Given past history, I suspect that Apple would be at the forefront in this space - especially given the persistent rumours of ARM versions of MacOS.

Why is this being voted down? It isn't offensive or trollish in the least, and more so it is right. While a lot of progress has been made in dynamic power in the last decade, we still don't have processors that can scale in a manner that can satisfy the needs of both a desktop and phone in one package. Even the beefiest ARM processor will be slow for desktop needs, and processor that is sufficient for the desktop would have horrible battery life. There is a reason that all other tablet/desktop convertibles actually contained two completely separate processors and dual booted. If the Edge had been built with today's technology it either would have been a poor phone, a poor desktop or both.

Don't get me wrong I think it is an awesome idea, but one whose time has not yet come.

Because his reference to Apple, so the apple haters crowd down vote .

I would love to own a computer with the size of a microSD someday too. Just plug it in in your 27" Monitor or you handheld , the interface will auto adapt. OpenSource would be nice.

Even the beefiest ARM processor will be slow for desktop needs, and processor that is sufficient for the desktop would have horrible battery life. There is a reason that all other tablet/desktop convertibles actually contained two completely separate processors and dual booted. If the Edge had been built with today's technology it either would have been a poor phone, a poor desktop or both.

Don't get me wrong I think it is an awesome idea, but one whose time has not yet come.

Exactly what I was getting at.

I too am a bit surprised at the votes, but the pondering a few posts down seems likely. Sad really, one would expect better of the typical Ars-itarian. Perhaps the fanboi faction has simply replaced troll posts with troll votes?

What I actually suggested, which I through was clear enough, is that all "phones" will be like this some day, when the price/performance/energy ratio is correct.

That day is not today.

But that in no way implies someone shouldn't try it, under even the most liberal readings. After all, MS was making tablets circa 2000, but they were simply not ready for widespread use because they were on the wrong side of that curve.

I hope they or another continues thinking mobile/desktop integration. Right now Android and iOS don't translate well to the desktop and vice versa. I get the sense Microsoft is aiming that direction but I have not used a Windows Mobile device yet (or W8 desktop) although I would like to.

The concept is good with the whole dock-able phone and one that I wouldn't mind trying out.

Haven't several of these (albeit Android-based) hit the market in the past? My niece had one.

Yeah, Motorola pushed a couple of docking stations for its Android phones.

The Atrix was interesting but Motorola was rather aggressive with the security and when people who were interested in playing with it beyond the default configuration, Motorola basically told them "go away, we don't want you."

So interesting things could have happened but Motorola ensured they wouldn't.

I find it hard to believe Canonical ever seriously expected they'd raise that sort of money. Which makes me wonder what their game really was.

Diversion. Strictly diversion.

This is absolutely typical Mark Shuttleworth: he announces a grandstanding, show-boating new something-or-other, and before he has to deliver on his promises (which he never does), he announces a NEW show-boating, grandstanding something to divert your attention from his last great promise. He's achieved some level of success: most can't remember all of Shuttleworth 's unfulfilled promises. Which fits perfectly with Shuttleworth's strategy. Keep forgetting, folks. Shuttleworth has you right where he wants you.

The concept is good with the whole dock-able phone and one that I wouldn't mind trying out.

Haven't several of these (albeit Android-based) hit the market in the past? My niece had one.

Yeah, Motorola pushed a couple of docking stations for its Android phones.

The Atrix was interesting but Motorola was rather aggressive with the security and when people who were interested in playing with it beyond the default configuration, Motorola basically told them "go away, we don't want you."

So interesting things could have happened but Motorola ensured they wouldn't.

I was thinking... isn't this what happened w/ tablet PC a decade ago? The concepts were there, the hardware was not.

It could be that dockable 'mini computers' of the past are good concepts, impeded by hardware and software. Maybe their time will come in the future.